The 2018–19 National League 2 South is the tenth season (32nd overall) of the fourth tier (south) of the English domestic rugby union competitions since the professionalised format of the second division was introduced. At the end of the season, Rams became champions when they won away to Clifton on 6 April 2019, sealing promotion with two games to go. It was a fitting reward for the Berkshire club, who were by far the strongest side in the division. The runners up were Canterbury who claimed second spot after beating off stiff competition from the likes of Tonbridge Juddians and Henley Hawks. Despite finishing 21 points behind Rams, Canterbury's league results were still strong enough to enough to book a home promotion playoff against National League 2 North runners up, Chester. On 4 May 2019, Canterbury defeated Chester 19–10 to join Rams in the 2019–20 National League 1. For both clubs, National League 1 is the highest level they have ever reached since the leagues began back in 1987.

At the other end of the table, London Irish Wild Geese became the first team to be relegated after they suffered a heavy loss away to Henley Hawks on 30 March 2019. They were followed a week later by league newcomers Guernsey, who also went down after just one season, following a heavy defeat away to Henley on 6 April 2019. One week later still, Birmingham & Solihull became the third and final team to go down with one round still to play after they lost away to champions, Rams, on 13 April 2019, with a try bonus not enough to keep them up due to results elsewhere. London Irish Wild Geese and Guernsey will drop into London & South East Premier, while Birmingham & Solihull, who had initially been supposed to drop to Midlands Premier, decided to become an amateur club and drop out of the league system altogether.

A final point of note was Worthing's Matthew McLean, who once again finished as the league's top scorer – this time for a record-breaking 3rd time. McLean scored 341 points, including 22 tries – an outstanding total for a Worthing side that finished 9th.

Structure The league consists of sixteen teams with all the teams playing each other on a home and away basis to make a total of thirty matches each. There is one automatic promotion place, one play-off place and three relegation places. The champions are promoted to the 2019–20 National League 1 and the runners-up play the second-placed team in the 2018–19 National League 2 North with the winner being promoted. The last three teams are relegated to either London & South East Premier or South West Premier depending on the geographical location of the team (in some cases teams may join the Midlands regional leagues).

The results of the matches contribute points to the league as follows:

4 points are awarded for a win 2 points are awarded for a draw 0 points are awarded for a loss, however 1 losing (bonus) point is awarded to a team that loses a match by 7 points or fewer 1 additional (bonus) point is awarded to a team scoring 4 tries or more in a match.

Participating teams and locations Eleven of the teams listed below participated in the 2017–18 National League 2 South season. The 2017–18 champions Cinderford and play-off winners Chinnor, who won the promotion play-off against Sedgley Park, were promoted into the 2018–19 National League 1, while Old Albanian were relegated into the division from the 2017–18 National League 1. Sides relegated from the 2017–18 National League 2 South included Broadstreet (to Midlands Premier), Wimbledon (London & South East Premier) and Barnstaple (South West Premier).

The promoted teams are Dings Crusaders who finished as champions of South West Premier while Barnes (champions) and Guernsey (play-off) came up from London & South East Premier. Birmingham & Solihull were also included from the division when they were level transferred from National League 2 North having been promoted as champions of Midlands Premier. They were transferred to address an imbalance of teams in National League 2 caused by both Cinderford and Chinnor being promoted, with only Old Albanian dropping down to the south, and as the most southerly club in the northern division, Birmingham & Solihull were deemed the most suitable for a level transfer.

TeamStadiumCapacityCity/AreaPrevious season Barnes Barn Elms 500 Barnes, London Promoted from London & SE Premier (champions) Birmingham & Solihull Portway Birmingham, West Midlands Promoted from Midlands Premier (champions) Bury St Edmunds The Haberden 3,000 (135 seats) Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk 8th Canterbury The Marine Travel Ground 1,500 (75 seats) Canterbury, Kent 10th Clifton Station Road 2,200 (200 seats) Cribbs Causeway, Patchway, Bristol 11th Dings Crusaders Shaftsbury Park 2,250 (250 seats) Frenchay, Bristol Promoted from South West Premier (champions) Guernsey Footes Lane 5,000 (720 seats) Saint Peter Port, Guernsey Promoted from London & SE Premier (playoff) Henley Hawks Dry Leas 4,000 Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 9th London Irish Wild Geese Hazelwood 2,000 Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey 13th Old Albanian Woollam Playing Fields 1,000 St Albans, Hertfordshire Relegated from National 1 (15th) Old Redcliffians Scotland Lane 1,000 Brislington, Bristol 12th Rams Old Bath Road 1,250 Sonning, Reading, Berkshire 3rd Redruth The Recreation Ground 3,500 (580 seats) Redruth, Cornwall 5th Taunton Titans Commsplus Stadium 2,000 (198 seats) Taunton, Somerset 4th Tonbridge Juddians The Slade 1,500 Tonbridge, Kent 6th Worthing Raiders Roundstone Lane 1,500 (100 seats) Angmering, West Sussex 7th

League table

Fixture & Results

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Round 21

Postponed due to poor weather (snow). Game to be rescheduled for 23 February 2019.

Postponed due to poor weather (snow). Game to be rescheduled for 23 February 2019.

Postponed due to poor weather (snow). Game to be rescheduled for 23 February 2019.

Round 22

Round 23

Round 21 (rescheduled games)

Game rescheduled from 2 February 2019.

Game rescheduled from 2 February 2019.

Game rescheduled from 2 February 2019.

Round 24

Round 25

Round 26

Round 27

London Irish Wild Geese are relegated.

Round 28

Guernsey are relegated.

Rams are champions.

Round 29

Birmingham & Solihull are relegated.

Canterbury qualify for promotion play-off.

Round 30

Promotion play-off

Each season, the runners-up in the National League 2 North and National League 2 South participate in a play-off for promotion to National League 1. Canterbury were runners up in the 2018–19 National League 2 South, and because they had a better record than the 2018–19 National League 2 North runners up, Chester, they host the play-off match.

Attendances Does not include promotion play-off. ClubHomegamesTotalAverageHighestLowest% Capacity Barnes 15 2,642 176 482 75 35% Birmingham & Solihull 15 2,673 178 253 105 Bury St Edmunds 15 5,969 398 611 241 13% Canterbury 15 5,059 337 643 183 22% Clifton 15 2,412 161 325 98 7% Dings Crusaders 15 6,358 424 850 150 19% Guernsey 15 8,820 588 851 367 12% Henley Hawks 15 5,774 385 1,160 205 13% London Irish Wild Geese 15 2,984 199 380 104 10% Old Albanian 15 4,320 288 523 176 29% Old Redcliffians 15 3,013 201 328 68 20% Rams 15 6,785 452 742 303 36% Redruth 15 9,110 607 810 485 17% Taunton Titans 15 6,292 419 720 250 21% Tonbridge Juddians 15 3,033 202 471 133 13% Worthing Raiders 15 6,744 450 610 225 30%

Individual statistics Note that points scorers includes tries as well as conversions, penalties and drop goals. Appearance figures also include coming on as substitutes (unused substitutes not included). Does not include promotion play-off.

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Points 1 Matthew McLean Worthing Raiders 30 341 2 Will Robinson Tonbridge Juddians 30 327 3 Daniel Watt Old Albanian 28 210 4 Jack Jolly Birmingham & Solihull 30 199 5 Ollie Best Canterbury 24 191 6 Alex Seers Rams 26 186 7 Kieran Hill Old Redcliffians 24 178 8 Gary Kingdom Taunton Titans 25 176 9 Ben Bolster Dings CrusadersHenley Hawks 20 157 10 Bradley Barnes Clifton 20 131

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Appearances Tries 1 Henry Bird Old Redcliffians 27 26 2 Matthew McLean Worthing Raiders 30 22 3 Ben Henderson Rams 29 21 4 Jak Rossiter Rams 29 18 Matthew Dight Birmingham & Solihull 29 18 5 Curtis Barnes Worthing Raiders 24 17 6 Nick Mason Taunton Titans 23 16 George Owen London Irish Wild Geese 25 16 Mark Kohler Bury St Edmunds 26 16 Ricky Mackintosh Canterbury 28 16

Season records

Team Largest home win — 56 points 56 – 0 Old Albanian at home to London Irish Wild Geese on 8 December 2018 Largest away win — 56 points 61 – 5 Old Albanian away to London Irish Wild Geese on 6 April 2019 Most points scored — 70 points 70 – 26 Bury St Edmunds at home to Guernsey on 15 September 2018 Most tries in a match — 12 Bury St Edmunds at home to Guernsey on 15 September 2018 Most conversions in a match — 9 Worthing Raiders at home to Redruth on 15 September 2018 Most penalties in a match — 5 Tonbridge Juddians at home Old Redcliffians on 3 November 2018 Most drop goals in a match — 1 (3) Old Albanian away to Barnes on 15 September 2018 Clifton away to Canterbury on 20 October 2018 Old Redcliffians away to Redruth on 15 December 2018

Attendances Highest — 1,160 Henley Hawks at home to Rams on 5 January 2019 Lowest — 68 Old Redcliffians at home to Worthing Raiders on 8 December 2018 Highest average attendance — 607 Redruth Lowest average attendance — 161 Clifton

Player Most points in a match — 34 Daniel Watt for Old Albanian away to London Irish Wild Geese on 6 April 2019 Most tries in a match — 5 Henry Bird for Old Redcliffians at home to Guernsey on 17 November 2018 Most conversions in a match — 9 Matthew McLean for Worthing Raiders at home to Redruth on 15 September 2018 Most penalties in a match — 5 Will Robinson for Tonbridge Juddians at home to Old Redcliffians on 3 November 2018 Most drop goals in a match — 1 (3) Tom Bednall for Old Albanian away to Barnes on 15 September 2018 Bradley Barnes for Clifton away to Canterbury on 20 October 2018 Kieran Hill for Old Redcliffians away to Redruth on 15 December 2018

Notes

See also English rugby union system Rugby union in England

References

External links NCA Rugby